Damaged effigies: Court awaits comprehensive report on mental status of accused

The Kwabenya Circuit Court has adjourned to September 18, the case of Newwell Gavu, the man held for destroying six Statues of the big six at Airport roundabout in Accra. 

The adjournment is to enable the Court to receive a comprehensive report on the mental status of the accused Gavu, the 37-year-old CCTV installer. 

Meanwhile, the Court has received a preliminary report on the accused after visiting the Pantang Mental Hospital for examination following the court’s order to the Police to send Gavu to the Hospital for thorough examination. 

According to the case investigator, Authorities at Pantang Psychiatric Hospital have indicated that the accused person will have to take a brain scan and the entire scalp and interview parents and relatives before it could furnish the court with a comprehensive report. 

The Investigator said the Police would need financial support in order to carry out the various scans because Pantang, Police Hospital and Korle Bu Teaching hospitals did have those machines for the scans except private hospitals. 

He said it was expensive to go to the private hospital. 

The Court therefore advised the accused family members to support them financially so that those scans would be conducted.  

It also appealed to the Pantang Mental Hospital to expedite action in producing a comprehensive report on the accused person’s mental status. 

Meanwhile, the accused is being held for allegedly causing damage to the six monumental effigies of which value is unknown. 

His plea has not been taken by the Court. 

On August 31, 2024, the police arrested Gavu for allegedly vandalising the monuments at the Airport roundabout. 

The police in a statement commended members of the public and Airport Security for their vigilance which led to the arrest of Gavu. 

Prosecution of the matter has been taken over by the Attorney General Office hence Natalie Opoku Hammond, a State Attorney, represented the state when the matter was called. 

The case before the court is that Gavu resides at Oyarifa in Accra. 

On August 31, 2024, at about 4:10 am, the complainant (name withheld) was on his way to work at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) Terminal Three. 

On reaching the Airport roundabout, the complainant saw the accused person with a hammer breaking the big six statues erected at the Airport roundabout. 

The complainant rushed on Gavu and caused his arrest and handed him over to the police. 

The police visited the scene and realised that Gavu had broken five of the big six statues into pieces, leaving one with a broken head. 

Police say, during interrogation Gavu gave inconsistent statements but later stated that he was directed by a spirit in his dream to destroy the statues. 

Police investigations further revealed that Gavu who lived with his parents had been exhibiting “some abnormal behaviours” and his uncle took him to Pantang Mental Hospital where he was treated and discharged and put on medication. 

Investigations have further disclosed that Gavu at a point stopped taking his medication, burnt all his hospital cards and threw all his medicines away and left the house. 

During a visit by the police to the Pantang Mental Hospital, authorities indicated that the hospital had migrated from their old system of record keeping to a new digital system, hence they would need time to check from their records to furnish the Police with some information. 

Source: GNA 

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